1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lever type connector assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional lever type connector assembly has first and second housings that can be mated with one another. A cover is mounted to the first housing for leading electric wires out of the housing, and a lever is attached to the cover. The lever has cam grooves and the second housing has cam pins that can mate with the cam grooves. Holding means are provided for holding the lever in a coupling start position where the cam grooves in the lever can receive the cam pins prior to coupling the connector housings. The holding means are released by a releasing means at an early stage of coupling so that the lever can be turned to a coupling completion position.
A first known releasing means includes concave and convex portions formed respectively on the lever and cover. The concave and convex portions are locked with each other in the coupling start position. However, movement of the lever toward the coupling completion position forcedly releases the locking condition of the concave and convex portions. This first known releasing means increases the force required to turn the lever.
A second known releasing means includes a lever that is elastically locked with a cover in the coupling start position. A releasing portion is formed on the second housing and engages an elastic latch to release a locking condition between the lever and the cover. This second known releasing means uses a coupling operation of the second housing, and has an advantage that the turning operation of the lever becomes favorable in comparison with the first known releasing means. On the other hand, it is necessary to dispose the elastic latch within a coupling area, because the second means utilizes the coupling operation of the mateable housings.
However, the two known releasing manners cannot be used in a lever type connector assembly in which a cover is overreached from a coupling area, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,968.
In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a lever type connector assembly in which a turning operation of a lever is enhanced.
The invention is directed to a lever type connector assembly including first and second connector housings detachably coupled to each other. An attaching member is mounted to the first connector housing, and a lever with a cam groove is rotatably supported on the attaching member. Cam pins are disposed on the second connector housing for engaging the cam grooves in the lever. The connector housings are coupled to each other by turning the lever from a coupling start position to a coupling completion position. The lever type connector assembly is characterized in that the attaching member has a projection that protrudes in a coupling area in the first or second connector housing. The projection or the lever has an elastic latch in the coupling area that can restrain the lever in the coupling start position from turning to the coupling completion position by engaging the elastic latch with a mateable latch on the other of the projection and lever. The second connector housing has a release portion that releases the elastic latch from the mateable latch by engaging the release portion with the elastic latch when the second connector housing is advancing in the coupling area, thereby elastically deforming the elastic latch to disengage the elastic latch from the mateable latch.
The projection piece and the lever may be provided with release prevention means for preventing the elastic latch and the mateable latch from being displaced relative to each other in a direction that intersects a deflecting direction of the elastic latch. Thus, the elastic latch and the mateable latch are prevented from being released.
The deflecting direction of the elastic latch may be substantially parallel to a turning direction of the lever. Additionally, the release prevention means may include first and second engaging portions. The first engaging portion protrudes from the elastic latch for engaging a side surface along the deflecting direction of the projection piece or the lever on which the projection piece is provided. The second engaging portion is disposed adjacent the first engaging portion, and protrudes from the projection piece or the lever on which the mateable latch is provided for engaging a side surface along the deflecting direction of elastic latch.
The attaching member can be mounted on the first connector housing in a regular position and a reversed position, and at least two release portions are provided for engaging the elastic latch regardless of whether the attaching member is in the regular position or in the reversed position.
The lever initially is set in the coupling start position where the lever is restrained from turning to the coupling completion position by the engagement of the elastic latch and the mateable latch. As the connector housings are coupled, the cam pins advance into the cam grooves, and the releasing portion engages the elastic latch disposed in the coupling area. Thus, the elastic latch is deformed elastically to release the locking condition between the elastic latch and the mateable latch. Consequently, the lever is permitted to turn to the coupling completion position. When the lever is turned from the coupling start position to the coupling completion position, both connector housings are regularly coupled to each other by engagement of the cam pins and cam grooves.
The projection piece protruding within the coupling area is provided on the attaching member. Thus, the locking condition between the elastic latch and the mateable latch can be released by the releasing portion on the second connector housing, thereby improving the turning operation of the lever.
The release prevention means restrains the elastic latch and mateable latch from being displaced relative to each other in the direction intersecting the deflection direction of the elastic latch. Thus, it is possible to maintain the lever surely in the coupling start position, thereby smoothly effecting the successive coupling work.
Either the projection piece or the lever may be deformed in a direction intersecting the deflection direction of the elastic latch. Nevertheless, the first engaging portion engages the projection, or the lever provided with mateable latch and the second engaging portion engages the elastic latch. Thus, the other element is deformed correspondingly. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the elastic latch and mateable latch from being displaced relative to each other and thus to prevent their locking condition from being released by mistake. Also, since the first and second engaging portions are provided on the elastic latch and projection or the lever, it is possible to make the connector assembly compact in a direction intersecting the deflection direction of the elastic latch, in comparison with a structure in which a pair of engaging portions are provided on an elastic latch and a projection piece or a lever provided with a mateable latch is pinched between both engaging portions.
It is possible to increase degree of freedom in a posture attaching the attaching member to the first connector housing.